The German Swimming Federation (DSV) has received federal funding approval for the country’s first national swimming center, planned for construction in the city of Magdeburg, about 100 miles East of Berlin (157 km).
This approval followed a recent budget reconciliation meeting of the German Bundestag, which increased funding for elite sports. The estimated cost of the project sits at 51 million euros (~$59 million USD), with the federal government expected to cover 90% of the cost.
“This will elevate the German Swimming Federation’s (DSV) high-performance work with its five Olympic sports to a whole new level. This greatly motivates us for the detailed planning that is now necessary. This is a very good day for swimming!” said DSV Chairman Jan Pommer in a report from DSV. “Our goal of reliably ranking among the top five swimming nations in the world from 2040 onwards will thus be sustainably supported.”
The new center will include a 50-meter competition pool, weight rooms, altitude chambers, diagnostic rooms, and a current channel.
“The swimming center in Magdeburg will give a strong boost not only to swimming but also to the sporting landscape of Saxony-Anhalt,” said Saxony-Anhalt’s Minister of Sport, Dr. Tamara Zieschang. “This is primarily thanks to the swimmers at the Federal Training Center for Pool Swimming in Magdeburg and the training group led by national coach Bernd Berkhahn. It is thanks to their impressive international successes that Magdeburg has developed into a flagship of German swimming.”
It will be built next to the handball arena, which is also near the Magdeburg sports schools. The center will also include conference rooms for educational courses.
Magdeburg has produced a number of notable swimmers, both domestically and internationally. German Olympic and World Champion Florian Wellbrock is one of the most notable athletes to call Magdeburg home. Recently retired Dutch open-water Olympic Champion Sharon van Rouwendaal and Australian open-water Olympic Silver medalist Moesha Johnson also train in the German city.
Germany brought home two gold medals from the 2025 World Swimming Championships in Singapore this summer by way of Lukas Maertens (men’s 400 freestyle) and Anna Elendt (women’s 100 breaststroke). As a whole, Germany won five total medals in the pool at those championships.
Magdeburg is West of Berlin, not East.